Portal:Current events/January 2009

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January 2009 was the first month of that common year. The month, which began on a Thursday, ended on a Saturday after 31 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from January 2009.

Current events of January 1, 2009 (2009-January-01) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Israeli-Palestinian conflict An Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip city of Jabalia kills senior Hamas military commander Nizar Rayan and six members of his family. (The Guardian) At least five people die and more than 50 are injured in serial bombings in Guwahati, India. (CNN-IBN) Arts and culture All Gabriele D'Annunzio's works becomes of public domain, since it has been 70 years since his death in 1938. Disasters and accidents A nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand, kills 61 people and injures more than 200. (AP via Google News) International relations Russia's Gazprom halts deliveries of natural gas to Ukraine after negotiations over prices fail. (RIA Novosti) (Reuters) Slovakia adopts the euro and becomes the 16th member of the Eurozone. (Reuters) (BBC) Law and crime A man is shot and killed at California's Fruitvale BART station by a Bay Area Rapid Transit officer. (Mercury News) Science and technology Virgin Galactic and the U.S. state of New Mexico sign a US$150-250 million agreement to launch sub-orbital commercial space flights at Spaceport America, near Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences. (Space.com) Current events of January 2, 2009 (2009-01-02) (Friday) A Swedish charter aircraft carrying 150 passengers touches down at Baghdad International Airport, becoming the first European commercial flight to land there since 1990. (AFP via Google News) 2008 SLA Northern offensive: The Sri Lankan Army captures the Tamil Tigers' de facto capital of Kilinochchi. (BBC) Ethiopia withdraws its military forces from Somalia after two years of helping the Transitional Federal Government combat insurgents. (BBC) Luis Fortuño is sworn in as Governor of Puerto Rico. (AP) Gertrude Baines succeeds Maria de Jesus, who died in her home in Portugal at age 115, as the world's oldest person. (BBC) Current events of January 3, 2009 (2009-01-03) (Saturday) National Democratic Congress candidate John Atta Mills wins Ghana's 2008 presidential election after narrowly defeating Nana Akufo-Addo of the incumbent New Patriotic Party in a run-off. (BBC News) An Israeli airstrike on the mosque in the Gaza Strip village of Beit Lahia kills at least 13 people. (CNN) Israel's Defense Forces launch a ground attack on the Gaza Strip. (BBC News) (New York Times) The 2009 Dakar Rally begins in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Motorsport) Governor of American Samoa Togiola Tulafono is sworn into office for a second term. (Samoa News) Satoshi Nakamoto creates the genesis block of bitcoin. (bitcoin.it) Current events of January 4, 2009 (2009-01-04) (Sunday) A suicide bombing kills six people and injures 20 in Dera Ismail Khan, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. (CNN) A suicide bombing outside a Shia shrine in northern Baghdad, Iraq, kills at least 40 people and wounds at least 72. (The New York Times) A series of earthquakes up to 7.6 in magnitude strike the Indonesian province of West Papua, killing at least four people and wounding at least 37. (BBC News) New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson withdraws his nomination to be the next United States Secretary of Commerce because of an ongoing federal investigation into possible pay-to-play politics. (Reuters) United States President-elect Barack Obama nominates Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to be the Democratic National Committee's next chairperson. (CNN) Current events of January 5, 2009 (2009-01-05) (Monday) United States President-elect Barack Obama nominates Leon Panetta to be the Central Intelligence Agency's next Director. (CNN) A fourth bomb targeting EnCana Corporation gas pipelines is detonated outside Tomslake, British Columbia, Canada, making it the first bombing since the three original blasts in October 2008. (CBC) Minnesota's State Canvassing Board certifies Democratic candidate Al Franken as the winner of the senatorial election recount. Republican Senator Norm Coleman, whose term officially expired January 3, intends to file a lawsuit challenging the decision. (Bloomberg) Current events of January 6, 2009 (2009-01-06) (Tuesday) United States President-elect Barack Obama offers CNN medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta the position of Surgeon General. (Washington Post) Russia's Gazprom alleges that Ukraine has blocked three key gas pipelines to Europe, making natural gas delivery there impossible. (Reuters) Israeli artillery strikes near a United Nations school in Gaza City, killing at least 40 people. (CNN) Kathmandu University students protest against the Nepali government's decision to replace Indian head priests at Pashupatinath Temple with Nepalis. (CNN-IBN) The Indian Army continues to battle Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch District. (CNN-IBN) Current events of January 7, 2009 (2009-01-07) (Wednesday) The United States Congressional Budget Office estimates that the federal government will run a record $1.2 trillion budget deficit in fiscal year 2009, that the current recession will last well into this year, and that the enactment of an economic-stimulus plan would increase that deficit. (MarketWatch) Satyam Computer Services chairman Ramalinga Raju admits to accounting fraud and resigns. (CNN-IBN) Israel and Hamas resume hostilities after a three-hour respite to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza. (Sky News) Current events of January 8, 2009 (2009-01-08) (Thursday) The United States Congress certifies the results of the 2008 presidential election, confirming Barack Obama as President-elect. (Fox News) Pakistan confirms that Ajmal Amir, the last surviving participant in the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, India, is a Pakistani citizen, but dismisses National Security Advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani for making the admission. (CNN-IBN) 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict: Several rockets fired from Lebanon strike the Israeli city of Nahariya. Hezbollah denies responsibility for the attack. (Sky News) The United Nations suspends humanitarian aid operations in Gaza after receiving fire from the Israel Defense Forces. (BBC) The UN Security Council votes, with the United States abstaining, to adopt Resolution 1860, which calls for a ceasefire in the conflict. However, Israel and Hamas continue their actions. (UNNewsCentre) (Sky News) The Bank of England cuts interest rates to 1.5 percent, its lowest level in its 315-year history. (BBC) Russia and Ukraine agree to resend natural gas through pipelines to Europe. (AP) Lasantha Wickrematunge is assassinated in Sri Lanka (Guardian) The Sri Lankan Army recaptures the village of Pallai from the Tamil Tigers in an effort to reach the Jaffna Peninsula. (CNN) North Korea announces it will hold its delayed parliamentary election on March 8. (CNN) Current events of January 9, 2009 (2009-01-09) (Friday) Rob Gauntlett, the youngest Briton to have climbed Mount Everest died whilst climbing in the French Alps Israel and Hamas ignore the United Nations Security Council's call for a ceasefire in the conflict in the Gaza Strip. (UNNewsCentre) Microsoft Corporation releases the beta version of its Windows 7 operating system. (BusinessWeek) India faces a major shortage of petroleum products as a strike by employees of the Indian Oil Corporation and 14 other PSUs enters its third day. (CNN-IBN) The House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Illinois votes 114–1 to impeach embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich. (CNN) A 6.1-magnitude earthquake in northern Costa Rica kills 15 people and injures 32. (CNN) Piracy in Somalia: The MV Sirius Star, a supertanker seized in the world's largest hijacking, is released with 2,000,000 barrels (320,000 m3) of oil and all 25 crew members unharmed after a US$3 million ransom is paid. (Guardian) The Iranian-chartered wheat-carrying vessel MV Desire is released with 25 crew members unharmed. (Xinhua) Current events of January 10, 2009 (2009-01-10) (Saturday) A boat carrying eight Somali pirates from the freed supertanker MV Sirius Star capsizes in the Gulf of Aden, causing the deaths of five and the loss of their portion of US$3 million in ransom. (Telegraph) Thirty-three people die and seventeen are injured when their coach plunges into a canyon in Cajamarca, Peru. (Radio Netherlands) Iraq's Interior Ministry arrests Ayesh Ali Hussein al-Harbi for his alleged role in the 2000 hijacking of a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 777 and serial killings in the country. (AFP) Current events of January 11, 2009 (2009-01-11) (Sunday) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev criticizes Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's government for not acting quickly enough to deal with the current financial crisis. (Reuters) European Union monitors arrive to ensure that Russia restarts its natural-gas delivery to Europe. (Reuters) Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants battle in Sheikh Ajleen, a suburb of Gaza City. (MSNBC) Current events of January 12, 2009 (2009-01-12) (Monday) Flooding caused by Tropical Depression 04F kills eight people and displaces more than 6,000 in Fiji. (AP) Urban warfare begins between Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas militants as the former push further into Gaza City. (Sky News) The Indonesian ferry MV Teratai Prima capsizes and sinks off Sulawesi, Indonesia, killing more than 230 people. (MSNBC) Iraqi Security Forces announce that they have captured Tha'ir Kadhim Sraiwi, the alleged leader of Salafi terrorist group Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna. (BBC) Current events of January 13, 2009 (2009-01-13) (Tuesday) Despite an agreement to resume delivery of natural gas from Russia to Europe, the European Union says that "very limited" amounts were transmitted. (BBC News) Israeli Defense Forces advance on Gaza City and engage in urban warfare with Hamas militants. (BBC News) The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee begins confirmation hearings for Hillary Clinton's nomination as Secretary of State. (CNN) Late 2000s recession: German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces a €50-billion economic stimulus package. (BBC News) The United States' trade deficit shrank by 28.7 percent in November 2008 to its lowest level in five years. (BBC News) Anti-government protesters clash with Latvian riot police in Riga. (BBC) Yahoo! names Autodesk chairwoman Carol Bartz as its CEO. (BBC News) Citigroup announces a merger deal with Morgan Stanley. (Reuters) Current events of January 14, 2009 (2009-01-14) (Wednesday) United Kingdom Opposition Leader David Cameron pledges to hold a referendum on the European Union's Lisbon Treaty if his Conservative Party is elected later this year. (Financial Times) Glen Roeder leaves his post at Norwich City amidst fears of dangerous times for FlyGlobespan. (Edinburgh Evening News) Steve Jobs takes a six-month medical leave of absence as CEO of Apple Inc. (CNN) Global financial crisis of 2008-2009: United States Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Philadelphia Fed Bank President Charles Plosser differ publicly on stabilizing the economy. (MarketWatch) U.S. retail sales plunged a seasonally adjusted 2.7 percent in December 2008 from November, the Commerce Department estimates. (MarketWatch) 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict: In an audio message, Osama bin Laden urges Muslims to launch a holy war on Israel. (BBC News) Rockets are fired into Israel's North District from Lebanon. (Sky News) Ukraine says it cannot resume natural-gas transit because Russia's Gazprom has provided insufficient supplies. (Sky News) Somali pirates release two ships off the coast of East Africa. (CNN) U.S. Federal Judge Richard J. Leon orders the release of 21-year-old Guantánamo Bay detainee Muhammad Hamid Al Qarani, who was imprisoned in 2002. (Washington Post) Current events of January 15, 2009 (2009-January-15) (Thursday) British Member of Parliament John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) is suspended after manhandling the ceremonial mace during House of Commons proceedings. (BBC News) President George W. Bush bids farewell to the United States in a 15-minute televised address, during which he touted his record and warned his successor, Barack Obama, to maintain an aggressive stance against terrorism. (AP via Google News) Sweden's National Bank announces that all 1-krona coins minted in 2009 will carry a new motif on their reverse to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Finland's separation from Sweden. (Riksbanken) The International Year of Astronomy's opening ceremony is held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. (France 24) US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 carrying 155 people, ditches into New York City's Hudson River. (CNN) (New York Times) A sprinkler incident at a Toronto, Ontario, Canada hydro power station sparks a major power outage in a huge swath in the City's west end affecting more than 250,000 people. (The Globe and Mail) NASA announces that methane in Mars' atmosphere "could be produced either by geological activity or by life." (BBC) China's gross domestic product grew 13 percent during 2007, overtaking Germany to become the world's third largest economy. (BBC) 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict: Hamas 'in principle' accepts the United Nations' call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. (Jerusalem Post) An Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian National Authority Interior Minister Said Seyam. (Sky News) Pakistan arrests 124 people in a crackdown on terrorism. (Sky News) Late 2000s recession: Japanese machine orders decrease 16.2 percent from October, the largest percentage drop since April 1987 and more than twice the expected rate. (MarketWatch) Jobless claims in the United States rise 54,000 to 524,000, the first increase in three weeks. (Wall Street Journal) Hawaii becomes the first U.S. state and the second media market after Wilmington, North Carolina, to convert to digital television. (Honolulu Star Bulletin) Despite the corruption scandal surrounding Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, the United States Senate confirms Roland Burris as a member. (Boston Globe) Current events of January 16, 2009 (2009-01-16) (Friday) Poodism is founded as a religion Panama officially recognizes Kosovo. (Balkan Insight) (Panama Ministry For Foreign Affairs) Computer worm Conficker infects more than eight million Microsoft Windows-based personal computers. (CNN) Lithuanian police disperse angry protesters mobbing Parliament as an anti-government demonstration turns violent. (International Herald Tribune) Trooper Mark Donaldson of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment is awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the War in Afghanistan. (The Australian) Palestinian medical sources report 1,010 people have died and 4,700 have been wounded during the conflict with Israel. (CNN) The trial of two accused murderers of Meredith Kercher begins in Perugia, Italy. (Sky News) Somali pirates release the Danish cargo ship CEC Future after receiving a ransom payment. (AP via Google News) Current events of January 17, 2009 (2009-01-17) (Saturday) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declares a unilateral ceasefire beginning January 18 at 2:00 am Israel Standard Time (UTC+2) in its conflict with Hamas. However, Israeli Defense Forces will remain in the Gaza Strip until further notice. (CNN) North Korea claims to have "weaponized" 30.8 kilograms of plutonium, enough for four to five nuclear warheads. (CNN) The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party defeats Barisan Nasional in Malaysia's Kuala Terengganu by-election. (Reuters) A suicide attack kills two Afghans and one United States Army soldier and wounds 30 other people in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Los Angeles Times) An Israeli Defense Forces airstrike kills 13 people in Gaza City. (MSNBC) Current events of January 18, 2009 (2009-01-18) (Sunday) El Salvador holds its legislative elections. (Los Angeles Times) 2008-09 National Football League playoffs (Super Bowl XLIII): The Arizona Cardinals defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 32-25 in the NFC Championship Game. (USA Today) The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Baltimore Ravens 23-14 in the AFC Championship Game. (ESPN) The roof of the Born Again in Christ Church in São Paulo, Brazil, collapses, killing nine worshippers and injuring more than one hundred others. (International Herald Tribune) The Republic of China (Taiwan) distributes shopping vouchers to all its 22.7 million citizens as part of a US$2.53-billion plan to stimulate the economy. (AFP via Google News) A French military helicopter crashes off the coast of Gabon, killing at least seven people and rendering one other missing. (BBC News) A series of avalanches occurs near Kabul, Afghanistan, killing at least ten people and injuring eleven others. (Irish Independent) 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict: Hamas agrees to a one-week ceasefire, but fires at least two rockets into Israel afterward. (CNN) Israel begins withdrawing its Defense Forces from the southern Gaza Strip. (Xinhua) Most of the wreckage of US Airways Flight 1549 is successfully recovered from the Hudson River. (Fox News) Current events of January 19, 2009 (2009-01-19) (Monday) The Palestinian National Authority's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that 1,300 Palestinians were killed; 5,400 were injured; and US$1.9 billion in damage was caused during the 22-day conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip. (CNN) Russian financial crisis of 2008–2009: Russia devalues the ruble for the sixth time in 2009 and will overhaul the state budget to reflect the sharp decrease in the price of petroleum, its key export. (Reuters) Global financial crisis of 2008–2009: European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet says that global economic growth in 2009 will be "substantially below" December 2008 forecasts. (Bloomberg) Her Majesty's Government confirms a £300-billion bailout package for the United Kingdom's banking industry. (Sky News) Banking shares in the United Kingdom plummet as the Royal Bank of Scotland posts the biggest loss in British history. (Telegraph) Australian author Harry Nicolaides is jailed for three years in Thailand for insulting the ruling Chakri Dynasty. (BBC) Palestinians unearth 23 bodies from the rubble in Zeitoun after the declaration of a ceasefire in their conflict with Israel. (CNN) The 2009 Australian Open tennis competition begins in Melbourne. (ABC) Barbados issues its first offshore hydrocarbon-exploration licenses to BHP Billiton. (Caribbean News Net) Current events of January 20, 2009 (2009-01-20) (Tuesday) Israel completes the withdrawal of its Defense Forces from the Gaza Strip. (The Australian) Kidnappers release Greek shipping magnate Periklis Panagopoulos after a record ransom payment. (AFP via News Limited) The United Kingdom's consumer price inflation falls from 4.1% in November 2008 to 3.1% in December 2008. (BBC) The Rwandan Defense Forces and Congolese Armed Forces jointly search the Democratic Republic of the Congo for Hutu leaders who participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. (Washington Post) United States Inauguration Day 2009: Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th and first African-American President of the United States. (BBC) George W. Bush leaves Washington, D.C. for Texas as a private citizen. (AP via News24) Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy suffers a seizure and collapses during a private inauguration lunch. (ABC News Australia) Russia resumes transmitting natural gas to Europe via Ukraine. (Sky News) Current events of January 21, 2009 (2009-01-21) (Wednesday) The United States Senate confirms Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. (New York Times) Toyota surpasses General Motors to become the world's largest automaker. (Reuters) BHP Billiton announces it will cut 6,000 jobs worldwide, including 3,300 in Australia. (ABC News Australia) United States President Barack Obama halts the trials of detainees at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base's detention camp. (Reuters) Despite a ceasefire in its conflict with Israel, Hamas fires eight mortar shells into the country. (Haaretz) The United Kingdom reports that 1.92 million Britons were unemployed in December 2008. (Sky News) China Central Television omits sensitive portions of U.S. President Obama's inaugural address. (MSNBC) President of Ireland Mary McAleese signs a bill confirming the nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank. (RTÉ) The missing engine from US Airways Flight 1549 is found at the bottom of the Hudson River. (CNN) Current events of January 22, 2009 (2009-01-22) (Thursday) Hamas announces it will distribute maximums of €4,000 to families seriously affected by the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip. (Reuters) Israel prepares to defend itself against accusations of war crimes in its conflict with Hamas. (Jerusalem Post) United States President Barack Obama will close Guantánamo Bay Naval Base's detention camp within one year and bans torture. (BBC) Microsoft announces it will cut 5,000 jobs, due to a rapid decline in demand for personal computers. (New York Times) Pope Benedict XVI will rescind the excommunications of four bishops consecrated in 1988 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. (AP via Google News) Iceland's National Police uses teargas against protesters for the first time since anti-NATO riots in 1949. (AP via Google News) Pakistan arrests seven militants in Peshawar in connection with the London bombings of July 7, 2005. (AFP via News Limited) Two Sanlu Group executives are sentenced to death for endangering public safety during China's 2008 milk scandal. (Sky News) General Motors receives a second loan installment of US$5.4 billion. (MSNBC) Nominees for the 81st Academy Awards are announced. (BBC) Current events of January 23, 2009 (2009-01-23) (Friday) The number of unique Internet users reached one billion in December 2008. (CNET.com) New York Governor David Paterson appoints Kirsten Gillibrand to Hillary Clinton's vacated United States Senate seat. (New York Times) Japan launches the world's first greenhouse-gas-monitoring satellite, Ibuki, from the Tanegashima Space Center. (Reuters) (CNN) A school shooting in northern Norway leaves two people dead, including the gunman. (Sky News) (RTE News) Hamas accuses rival faction Fatah of spying for Israel during the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip. (CNN) National Congress and Tutsi leader Laurent Nkunda is arrested in Rwanda. (MSNBC) Two children and one adult are stabbed to death in an attack on a crèche in Belgium. (Sky News) The 30-man crew of Chinese cargo ship Zhenhua 4 receives US$10,000 each after repelling Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. (Xinhua) The United Kingdom enters a recession. (Business Standard) Current events of January 24, 2009 (2009-01-24) (Saturday) Pope Benedict XVI rescinds the excommunications of four bishops consecrated in 1988 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. (AP via Google News) A suicide car bomb targeting African Union peacekeepers kills 14 civilians in Mogadishu, Somalia. (Reuters) A European windstorm across France and Spain kills 15 people with hurricane-force winds. (BBC) An avalanche in the Scottish Highlands kills three mountain climbers. (RTÉ) Current events of January 25, 2009 (2009-01-25) (Sunday) Sudan bombs the town of Muhajeria, Darfur, killing a child. (MSNBC) Björgvin G. Sigurðsson, Iceland's Minister of Business Affairs, resigns as a result of the country's financial crisis. (CNN) The Sri Lankan Army captures Mullaitivu, the Tamil Tigers' final stronghold in the ongoing Civil War. (BBC News) Mamadou Dia, the first Prime Minister of Senegal, dies at age 98. (AFP) A road accident kills 15 members of the Nigerian Football Federation's FC Jimeta. (BBC News) An avalanche kills 11 people on Mount Zigana, Gümüşhane Province in north-eastern Turkey. (CNN) Current events of January 26, 2009 (2009-01-26) (Monday) The United States Senate confirms Timothy F. Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury. (The New York Times) 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict: An Israeli soldier is killed and three others injured in a bombing at the Gaza Strip border. (BBC) Nine youths are arrested for alleged nationalist attacks on Arabs in Upper Nazareth. (Jerusalem Post) Icelandic Prime Minister Geir Haarde announces the collapse of his coalition government in the wake of the country's financial crisis. (BBC) United States pharmaceutical company Pfizer announces it will buy rival Wyeth in a US$68-billion deal. (BBC) A gunman kills two people and injures seven others in Portland, Oregon, before shooting and critically wounding himself. (Sky News) Forty people are killed when a riverboat sinks in central Vietnam. (CNN) A state of emergency is declared in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, following a series of arson attacks. (USA Today) A set of human octuplets are born alive for the second time in the United States. (BBC) (Los Angeles Times) Current events of January 27, 2009 (2009-01-27) (Tuesday) Sir Paul Stephenson is appointed Commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police Service. (BBC) At least one person is killed and eight wounded by Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. (BBC)(Australian News) Seven people die in a murder-suicide in Wilmington, California. (UPI) (New York Times) (mercurynews.com) Florida hedge fund manager Arthur Nadel is arrested by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and charged with fraud. (Bloomberg) The United Kingdom Information Tribunal orders Her Majesty's Government to release the minutes of Cabinet discussions regarding the 2003 invasion of Iraq. (AP via Google News) United Kingdom Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Peter Mandelson unveils a £2.3-billion bailout for the British motor industry. (BBC) Iran will have enough enriched uranium to make a single nuclear weapon later this year, the International Institute for Strategic Studies predicts. (Sky News) Two crew members escape a FedEx ATR 42 that crashed at Texas's Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport. (Lubbock Online) The ninth World Social Forum is held in Belém, Brazil. (SwissInfo) A man hijacks a bus in Bulgaria and holds the 37 passengers hostage for two hours before surrendering. (Reuters) A special leaders meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum, held in Papua New Guinea, sets a deadline of 1 May for Fiji to set a date for elections before the end of the year. Fiji rejects the deadline. (Xinhua) John Updike dies. Current events of January 28, 2009 (2009-01-28) (Wednesday) The United States House of Representatives passes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. (The New York Times) Winter storms across the Midwestern United States have killed 19 people and cut electricity to 600,000 homes and businesses from Oklahoma to West Virginia. (Reuters via News Daily)(ABC News) A former New South Wales Police Force superintendent claims there was an attempted assassination of Queen Elizabeth II at Bowenfels railway station during a 1970 Royal Tour of Australia. (AFP via Google News) Israel bombards smuggling tunnels along the Gaza Strip-Egypt border in response to continued militant rocket fire. (Sky News) Sri Lankan Civil War: The Army kills at least 300 and wounds at least 300 Tamil people in Mullaitivu District. (AOL) At least 250,000 civilians are trapped in the crossfire between the Armed Forces and the Tamil Tigers. (CNN) The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board prepares its final report on the 2007 collision between two news helicopters in Phoenix, Arizona. (AZCentral.com)(AP via Google News) Boeing announces it will cut 10,000 jobs. (BBC) Lithuanian flag carrier FlyLAL declares bankruptcy. (Baltic Times) Current events of January 29, 2009 (2009-01-29) (Thursday) The Illinois Senate votes unanimously to remove Governor Rod Blagojevich from office and bar him from future state employment. Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn is sworn in to finish Blagojevich's term. (Chicago Tribune) Afghanistan's presidential election is delayed due to the country's security situation. (Times Online) Zimbabwe allows the use of foreign currencies alongside its dollar. (BBC) Spanish Judge Fernando Andreu investigates a possible Israeli crime against humanity during the 2002 assassination of Salah Shehade. (Jerusalem Post) An Israeli Defense Forces air raid injures nine people in the Gaza Strip in response to continued militant rocket fire. (Al Jazeera) German unemployment rises to 3.27 million (7.8 percent) as the global financial crisis worsens. (Bloomberg) French workers strike to force a better response from President Nicolas Sarkozy to the global financial crisis. (Reuters) Somali pirates hijack the German oil tanker MV Longchamp in the Gulf of Aden. (Sky News) Violent anti-government protests in Antananarivo, Madagascar, are temporarily halted. (France 24) Current events of January 30, 2009 (2009-01-30) (Friday) The regional Court in Kurgan Oblast, Russia convicts the three prisoners, all born in 1990, of aggravated murder for strangling their cellmate, who had asked them to end his life in this fashion.(Interfax) Six people are killed when a Piper PA-34 Seneca crashes near Huntington, West Virginia, United States. (AP via Fox News) The U.S. State Department will not renew security contractor Blackwater Worldwide's license when it expires in May 2009. (CNN) Michael S. Steele becomes the U.S. Republican National Committee's first African-American chairman. (CNN) Somalia's Transitional Federal Government collapses after Al-Shabaab captures Baidoa. (NPR) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announces an investigation into Israel's attack on the U.N.'s Gaza Strip headquarters. (Al Jazeera) A heat wave affects southeastern Australia, with both Adelaide and Melbourne experiencing temperatures above 45 °C (113 °F). (Australian BOM) More than one thousand workers strike at four different United Kingdom oil refineries. (Sky News) Thirteen people are killed and 47 people are missing after a Nakumatt supermarket burns in Nairobi, Kenya. (CNN) Norway announces it will raise the German submarine U-864 from the North Sea. (Norway Post) Current events of January 31, 2009 (2009-01-31) (Saturday) Former Cuban President Fidel Castro criticizes United States President Barack Obama for supporting "Israeli genocide" against the Palestinian people. (Al Jazeera) An armed mob desecrates a Sephardic synagogue in Caracas, Venezuela. (BBC) Seven people are killed and 18 are missing after a nursing home burns in Russia's Komi Republic. (CNN) At least 111 people are killed and 200 injured in Molo, Kenya, after an oil spill ignites. (The Irish Times) Thousands of Russians protest in response to the government's handling of the current economic crisis. (BBC) Serena Williams of the United States defeats Dinara Safina of Russia to win the 2009 Australian Open women's singles. (BBC) More than 5,000 Royal Police are deployed to Bangkok, Thailand, as supporters of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra protest. (AFP via Google News) A heat wave affects southeastern Australia, killing 20 people as temperatures reach above 45 °C (113 °F) in Adelaide and Melbourne. (Bloomberg) (BBC) Movement for Democratic Change President Morgan Tsvangirai agrees to become Zimbabwe's Prime Minister on February 11 in a deal with President Robert Mugabe. (The Guardian) Sharif Ahmed is elected President of Somalia. (AFP via Google News) Iraq's provincial elections begin. (Sky News Australia) Antananarivo Mayor Andry Rajoelina declares himself "in charge" of Madagascar. (BBC)

January 2009 S M T W T F S           1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10     11     12     13     14     15     16     17     18     19     20     21     22     23     24     25     26     27     28     29     30     31   Ongoing events Automotive industry crisis Diplomatic response to Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence Diplomatic response to Kosovar independence Global financial crisis Icelandic financial crisis Nord-Kivu campaign Piracy in Somalia Russian financial crisis Slovakian transition to the Euro Treaty of Lisbon ratification World food price crisis Zimbabwean cholera outbreak Recent deaths January 30: H. Guy Hunt 30: Ingemar Johansson 29: Bill Frindall 29: John Martyn 28: Wendell Wyatt 28: Billy Powell 27: John Updike 26: James Brady 25: Mamadou Dia 24: Kay Yow 23: George Perle 21: Jean Jadot 20: David Newman 18: Tony Hart 17: Anders Isaksson 17: Edmund Leopold de Rothschild 16: Sidney Brichto 16: Andrew Wyeth 16: John Mortimer 15: Tapan Sinha 14: Ricardo Montalbán 13: Doña Mary Ejercito 13: Patrick McGoohan 13: Dai Llewellyn 12: Claude Berri 12: Arne Næss 11: Pio Laghi 11: David Vine 10: Bill Stone 10: Eluned Phillips 9: T. Llew Jones 9: Rob Gauntlett 8: Richard John Neuhaus 8: Lasantha Wickramatunga 6: Ron Asheton 5: Cheryl Holdridge 5: Carl Pohlad 5: Griffin Bell 4: Lei Clijsters 3: Pat Hingle 3: Ulf G. Lindén 3: Sir Alan Walters 2: Valentina Giovagnini 2: Maria de Jesus 1: Willard Warren Scott, Jr. 1: Edmund Purdom 1: Claiborne Pell 1: Helen Suzman 1: Nizar Rayan 1: Oscar Grant Ongoing conflicts War in Afghanistan Balochistan conflict Casamance Conflict Fourth Civil War of Chad Second Chechen War Colombian Civil War War in Darfur Fatah–Hamas conflict Iran-PJAK conflict Iraq War Israeli-Palestinian conflict Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir Kayin State Conflict Kivu conflict Insurgency in the Maghreb Mexican Drug War Ethnic conflict in Nagaland Naxalite-Maoist insurgency Conflict in the Niger Delta Insurgency in Ogaden War in North-West Pakistan Communist and Islamic Insurgency in the Philippines The Secret War Somali Civil War Sri Lankan Civil War War on Terrorism South Thailand insurgency Second Tuareg Rebellion Turkey-PKK conflict Second Ugandan Civil War Elections Recent January 12 January: Malta, President (by the parliament) 18 January: El Salvador, Parliament 25 January: Bolivia, Constitutional referendum Upcoming February 2 February: Somalia, President (by the parliament) 8 February: Turkmenistan, Parliament (3rd Round) 8 February: Liechtenstein, Parliament 8 February: Switzerland, Referendum on freedom of movement with the European Union 10 February: Israel, Parliament Trials Upcoming Austria: Josef Fritzl Canada: Larry O'Brien Estonia: Herman Simm Italy: Raffaele Sollecito, Amanda Knox Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim Netherlands: ICTY Radovan Karadžić Singapore: Chee Soon Juan and others Singapore: Peter Lloyd U.S.: Aníbal Acevedo Vilá U.S.: Viktor Bout U.S.: Noshir Gowadia U.S.: William J. Jefferson U.S.: James Charles Kopp U.S.: Bernard L. Madoff U.S.: Ehren Watada U.S.: Sheila Dixon U.S.: Joseph Bruno Ongoing Cambodia: Khmer Rouge Tribunal Iraq: Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal Netherlands: ICC Thomas Lubanga Netherlands: ICTY Peru: Alberto Fujimori Republic of China (Taiwan): Chen Shui-bian Sierra Leone: SCfSL Charles Taylor Thailand: Thaksin Shinawatra US: Jena Six US: Phil Spector Upcoming holidays and observances February 1: Suyapa Day (Honduras) 1: Federal Territory Day (Malaysia) 1: Abolition Day (Mauritius) 1: Heroes' Day (Rwanda) 1: National Freedom Day (United States) 2: World Wetlands Day 2: Candlemas (Western Christianity) 2: Imbolc (Pagan, Wicca in Northern Hemisphere) 2: Lughnasadh (Pagan, Wicca in Southern Hemisphere) 2: Constitution Day (Mexico) 2: Nelson Anniversary Day (Nelson Province) 2: Inventors' Day (Thailand) 2: National Agriculture Day (Thailand) 2: Groundhog Day (United States, Canada)